Wednesday, October 13, 2021

The Ivory Tower of Babel

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Dronavalli Harika
1st Chess Super League; Quintessential Queens – Ruthless Rooks; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess.com, October 13, 2021
King’s Pawn Game C50

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. c3 f5. This used to be the favourite of Grandmaster David Arturovich Paravyan (at least at such time controls and at least online). 5. d3 f4. 5. ... Qf6 6. Ng5 Nh6 7. f4 Bd7 8. 0-0 0-0-0 9. exf5 exf4 10. Bxf4 Bxf5 is an alternative diagram for critically evaluating Black’s theoretical perspectives, Fedoseev – Dubov, 73rd Russian Chess Championship Superfinal, Moscow 2020) 6. d4. 6. b4 Qf6 7. a4 Be7 8. a5 a6 9. Bb2 g5 may well illustrate what White can expect if things go wrong: 10. Na3 g4 11. Nd2 Qg6 12. Qb3 Nf6 13. 0-0-0 Nd8 14. Qc2 h5 15. Rhe1 h4 16. d4 Nf7 17. Bd3 g3 18. fxg3 fxg3 19. h3 Nh5 20. Nf3 Nf4 21. c4 Ng5 22. Nxg5 Qxg5 23. Kb1 c5 24. bxc5 dxc5 25. d5 0-0 26. Ka1 Bd6 27. Bf1 Bd7 28. Nb1 Rab8 29. Nd2 Ng6 30. Be2 Rf2 31. Bf3 Nf4 32. Rg1 Rf8 33. Qc3 Ba4 34. Rdf1 Nxh3 35. Rh1 Rxf1+ 36. Nxf1 Nf2 37. Rg1 Be8 38. Ne3 Bg6 0 : 1 Wagener – I. Sokolov, 18th Vienna Chess Open, Vienna 2013. 6. ... Qf6 7. Na3 a6 8. b4 b5 9. Bd3 Nh6


10. d5. White goes for a space advantage which should count for something. 10. ... Nb8 11. c4 bxc4 12. Nxc4 Be7 13. Bb2 0-0 14. Qb3 Nf7 15. Na5. White may also castle Queenside without fearing ... a6-a5 which can be met by b4-b5. 15. ... Kh8 16. Rc1 Bd8 17. h3 Ng5


18. Bb1. This somewhat eases the defender’s task. 18. Qd1! leaves White better. 18. ... Bd7 19. Nb7 (19. a3!? Ra7 20. Nc4) 19. ... Ra7 20. Nxd8 Qxd8 21. 0-0. The White King finally found refuge on the Kingside, but at the cost of ceding a not too important Pawn, and what’s worse any positional advantage. 21. ... Rb7 22. a3 a5 23. Nxg5 Qxg5 24. Qf3 axb4 25. axb4 Rxb4 26. Bc3 Rb3 27. Bd3 Bb5 28. Bxb5 Rxb5 29. Bd2 Rb7 30. g3?! More prudent was 30. Rb1, offering the exchange of Rooks. 30. ... Nd7 31. Kh1 Qh6?! (⌓ 31. ... Qe7)


32. Kg2? And 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) misses her chance for salvation: 32. gxf4 exf4 33. Bc3 with obvious compensation. 32. ... Nf6 33. gxf4? Just too late. 33. ... Qg6+ 34. Kh2 Qxe4 35. Qxe4 Nxe4 36. Ba5 Rxf4 37. Rxc7 Rxc7 38. Bxc7 Rf7 39. Bb6 h6 40. Kg2 Rb7 41. Be3 Nf6 42. Rd1 Rb5 43. Kf3 Kh7 44. Rc1 Nxd5 45. Rc6 Nxe3 46. fxe3 Rd5. The Rook ending two Pawns up is winning. 47. Ke2 Kg6 48. Rc7 Kf6 49. Rd7 g6 50. Rh7 h5 51. Rd7 e4 52. Rd8 Rd3 53. Rf8+ Kg5 54. Rf4 d5 55. h4+ Kh6 56. Rf6 Ra3 57. Kf2 Ra2+ 58. Kf1 Rh2 59. Rf4 Kg7 60. Ke1 Rg2 61. Rf1 Rg4 62. Rh1 Kf6 63. Kf2 Ke5 64. Rh3 d4 65. exd4+ Kxd4 66. Rh1 Rf4+ 67. Ke2 e3 68. Ra1 Rf2+ 69. Ke1 Rh2 70. Ra6 Kd3 71. Rd6+ Ke4 72. Rxg6 Rxh4 73. Ke2 Rh2+ 74. Ke1 h4 75. Re6+ Kf4 76. Rf6+ Kg4 77. Re6 Kf3 78. Rf6+ Kg2 79. Re6 Rh3 80. Rh6 Kf3 81. Rf6+ Kg4 82. Ke2 Rg3 83. Rg6+ Kf4 84. Rf6+ Kg5 85. Rf8 Kg4 86. Re8 Kh3 87. Rh8 Rg4 88. Kxe3 Kg2 89. Ra8 h3 90. Ra2+ Kg3 91. Ke2 h2 0 : 1.

Even a Queen needs a hobby for the sake of an academic career. Screenshot from the live stream.

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